Everything and More
by cleareyesfullhearts7
Summary: Matt and Julie Saracen have built a life together that left others envious. But what happens when the biggest blessing in their lives comes with an awful decision? Post-finale Matt/Julie story. Other pairings include Tim/Lyla, Landry/Tyra and of course Coach and Mrs. Taylor.
1. Chapter 1

"Julie Saracen…"

Julie looked up from the magazine she had been pretending to read and caught her breath in her throat. The last name was hardly new anymore; she and Matt were about to celebrate their third anniversary. But for some reason, the way it flowed off the tongue of the nurse made her question whether or not she was the person being called back to the exam room.

She returned the magazine to the small end table next to her and gathered her belongings before following the nurse. Her stomach was turning with anxiety while the older woman took her vitals and instructed her to wait for the doctor. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and read a text message from Matt.

_Everything is packed up and the airport shuttle is picking us up at 6. Good luck at your meeting! Love you._

The nausea she had been feeling all day threatened to overtake her when she read her husband's good luck message. She had told him she had a meeting after work with a set of angry parents who were disputing the grade she gave their son on a paper. She lied to her husband, and she hated herself for it.

The knock on the door caused her to shove her phone back into her bag. She granted the doctor permission to come in and wrung her hands together.

"It's good to see you, Julie," the doctor greeted as she took a seat across from her. "Is your husband going to be joining us?"

Julie shook her head. "No."

"Oh, well, I only ask because usually in these situations, it's nice for my patients to have the support of their partners. Maybe we should reschedule the procedure for another time when he can be here?"

"We don't need to reschedule," Julie clarified with a shaky voice.

"Are you sure? Because you should really have someone drive you home afterw –"

"I'm not having the procedure done," she interrupted, "Not today, not at all."

The doctor vocalized her disapproval with a loud sigh. "Julie, I understand that this has to be incredibly difficult for you and your husband. Believe me, I hated having to tell you that your body won't be able to support this pregnancy. Maybe we should recap that conversation."

"Believe me, I remember everything you said," Julie cut her off. "My heart is messed up, or damaged, or whatever word you want to use for it. If I try to carry this baby – mine and Matt's baby – to term, my defective heart will have too much stress on it and I could have a heart attack."

"A _fatal _heart attack, Julie. Not only would your child be in jeopardy, but you would be too."

"But it's not a guarantee, right? I could make it through this pregnancy with no complications and deliver a healthy baby in seven months. You said that's a possibility."

The other woman groaned. "There are never any guarantees in medicine. But there are probabilities, and unfortunately, the chance of you having that happy outcome you're talking about is less than 20%."

Julie wiped away a tear that had surfaced from her cheek. "Matt and I weren't trying to get pregnant. It just kind of happened, you know? We were using protection, so the probability of us making a baby was like less than 2% or something. So it's kind of a miracle, right? We beat those odds, and I feel like we can beat your 20%."

The doctor handed her a tissue before continuing. "Did your husband read the materials I gave you? They detail the risks involved with continuing this pregnancy with incredible accuracy. Perhaps he could join us for more discussion before we reach a final decision about whether or not to end this pregnancy."

The doctor's words stung, and Julie was unable to hold back the rest of the tears that she had been harboring. She shook her head to respond to the question. "I didn't tell Matt about this."

"At the risk of lecturing you, Julie, you're going to have to tell your husband about the risks associated with this pregnancy. It's not fair to let him think that you're going to be able to carry to term without complication."

"He doesn't think anything," Julie continued, catching her breath. "I haven't told him about the pregnancy yet. I came in last week to make sure the home pregnancy test wasn't giving off a false positive before I told him, and then you gave me this ridiculous situation and I haven't really been able to figure out how to tell Matt."

"Well you need to tell him soon," the doctor instructed. "Because every day that passes until we go through with the procedure puts you more at risk."

* * *

Matt glanced at his wife, who was silently staring out the passenger side window of their rental car. She had been particularly quiet throughout their flight, which was definitely out of character. Julie was a nervous flyer, which meant they usually chatted nonstop to keep her calm. He knew that the trip to Dillon for Christmas was bittersweet for her. As much as she loved going back to visit his grandmother and their friends, she was still not used to alternating holidays and missing Christmas with her parents and sister.

"Are you okay?" he questioned.

"Hm?" she replied, obviously coming out of a trance.

"I guess that's my answer," he chuckled. "You have been really quiet all night. Are you sure you want to go to this party at Riggins' house? We could just go straight to Grandma's."

"No, it's fine. We should totally go," she assured him. "I'm just a little tired."

He frowned as he pulled off of the interstate to head into Dillon. While he was looking forward to seeing a number of their friends at Tim Riggins' annual pre-Christmas party, he questioned whether or not Julie was really up for it.

She had just completed her first semester of teaching journalism at a college preparatory school in Chicago. On top of that, she was freelance writing for numerous publications across the Midwest. She had insisted on taking on a second job to help save up for a bigger apartment. While his job at the art gallery was going really well and he had been able to sell a few paintings in the last month, they were still adjusting to the higher cost of living in Chicago. Teaching brought on a whole new level of exhaustion, and Matt hoped to make enough money in the coming months so that he could convince his wife that it wouldn't be necessary for the long term.

"You said your meeting went well, right?"

She twirled a piece of her hair between her fingers and nodded, which gave Matt the confirmation he was looking for. She was definitely covering something.

"Okay, now I know something is going on," he pulled the car to the side of the road and parked so that he could give her his full attention. "What's going on, Jules? Did something happen at your meeting?"

He watched her slowly exhale and bite her lower lip. Whatever was on her mind was obviously bothering her. He removed his seatbelt and turned to face her, pulling her hand into his.

"Hey, whatever it is, I'm sure it's going to be fine. If dealing with the parents is going to be too much, you can always quit teaching. I sold another painting last week, and I'm sure I can sell some more in that showcase on New Year's Eve."

Julie glanced up at him and offered a weak smile. "No, it's not the parents. And I don't want you to worry about me teaching. I want to contribute more financially for our future. Teaching is – well, it's not my favorite thing in the world, but it is bringing in the steady income that our passions were not."

"Fair enough," Matt sighed, knowing that arguing with her would not accomplish a thing. "But if that's not what's bothering you, then what is?"

"It's Christmas, you know? I guess I'm just missing my family. My parents and Gracie, I mean… not that you and your grandma aren't my family."

"That's it?" he questioned, leaning forward and kissing her cheek. "Julie, it's okay to miss your family at Christmastime. And you can absolutely tell me if you do. You can also tell me if there's something else bothering you."

"I know," she smiled, "And I will. But for right now, we're so late for this party. I think you should start the car and get over to Tim's house before everybody else spends the whole night speculating on what took us so long to get there."

Matt leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Let 'em speculate all they want. We are back in Dillon, and I'm heading to Tim Riggins' party with the hottest girl from high school. I'm not QB1 anymore, Jules. Don't steal my thunder."

* * *

_No strenuous activity._ The doctor had been clear in her instructions to Julie that afternoon. It was a directive the young woman had been fully prepared to follow. At least, that had been her plan until Tim Riggins' party turned into a pickup game of football back at the high school field that had been the backdrop to her adolescence.

She had just finished convincing Matt that she was just too tired and would be fine sitting on the sideline and watching when Landry pointed out that the teams wouldn't be even unless she participated. He added the memory of the powder puff game when she ran for the winning touchdown, and that was enough to make the rest of their friends agree that their scrimmage would be a quarterback battle between Mr. and Mrs. Matt Saracen.

Julie had been able to take it relatively easy for the majority of the game. She stayed within the pocket and handed off the ball as much as possible, which was fairly easy considering she had Tim available to do most of the running. When her team was on defense, she volunteered to rush the opposing QB, knowing that Matt would inevitably outrun her before she would need to put in too much effort.

"We're down seven and this is probably our last possession," Tim instructed his team – Julie, Landry, Becky and Erin Street. "They're going to expect us to run out the clock, get to the end zone and go for two, but we're not going to do that. You know why?"

"Because you don't trust me to kick the winning field goal?" Landry questioned.

"Well, yeah, but that's not what I was getting at," Tim corrected. "We're going to go big. Get a TD on this play, follow it up with a turnover and smash it down their throats. Taylor, you remember that play you ran to crush my dreams of coaching?"

"Sure," Julie grinned. "But I don't know that it's a great idea. Can't I just go long to Erin?"

"Nah, they'll see that coming," he argued, continuing his explanation of the play to the rest of the team while Julie took a deep breath. She was always tired lately, but the feeling she had at that moment was nothing short of exhaustion. But maybe scoring the winning touchdown against former Panthers would be enough to give her an extra burst of energy.

"Don't worry, Julie," Tyra taunted from the line of scrimmage as they lined up. "Nobody expects football to be in your blood or anything."

"Ha," Julie replied with a sarcastic grin. She caught Matt's gaze and lined up;. As soon as she took the snap, she knew Tim had been right. Her teammates blocked for her perfectly and she had nothing but wide open field in front of her as she started her jog to the end zone.

"Hate to break it to you, babe, but you're all mine," Matt's voice called from behind her. She knew he was right on her tail, so she picked up her speed until she was practically sprinting over the goal line. As the rest of her teammates cheered across the field, she felt Matt's arms slip around her waist and lift her into the air.

"Trying to outdo me at QB, huh?" he laughed, spinning her around. "It's almost cute enough to make me want to let you win."

She opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly felt as if she couldn't get any oxygen. Her vision became blurred and her body practically melted against Matt's when he lowered her to the ground.

"Whoa, whoa," he soothed, moving his hands to her shoulders to help support her, "Are you alright?"

She nodded her head, but struggled to catch her breath. Blinking her eyes several times seemed to help her vision, but standing up without assistance took a few more minutes. She gasped a few more times, letting the cool winter air fill her lungs. "I-I'm fine… out of shape… but f-fine."

"Are you sure?" he questioned. She looked over his shoulder and saw their friends looking toward her with concern.

"Tired," she exhaled, doing her best to cover her lack of oxygen. "I'm-I just… need a break."

"Everything alright, Seven?" Tim called from midfield.

Matt looked at her with concern, but she waved everybody else off. She gathered every piece of composure she could and faced the group. "I just overdid it with the caffeine all day," she explained. "I guess I'm crashing."

Her husband did not seem too satisfied with that response, but she continued before he could interject. "I'll just sit this next series out. You guys don't need me on defense, anyway. I'm practically useless."

"Maybe we should just go home to Grandma's," Matt suggested as she took a step away from him toward the bench.

"Don't be ridiculous," she argued, flashing him a reassuring smile. "You're QB1, and if you don't go back out there and get another score, you'll be forever known as the man whose own wife outplayed him."

"But –"

"Matt!" Tyra called. "Time's running out. Are you gonna get over here and call a play, or am I gonna kick your butt?"

"It's fine," Julie reassured, gesturing to the bench on the sideline. "I'll be sitting right over there with Jason."

Her husband reluctantly jogged back to the rest of the group, leaving her only seconds to conjure enough strength to get herself to the sideline without passing out. She knew something was wrong. Even though she had not been the most faithful gym enthusiast, she should have been able to run seventy yards without falling apart.

She braced herself on the bench as she took her seat and reinitiated her quest for fresh air. She had forgotten Jason Street's proximity until he was holding a beer out in front of her.

"Here," he offered. "I know water is the better option for hydration, but we are at a party in Dillon. Water isn't exactly a pre-requisite. This should help a little."

"N-no thanks," she gasped, pushing the bottle back toward him.

"Want me to go over and get a light one?"

"I-I'm not," she started, shaking her head. She subconsciously moved her hand to her abdomen and rubbed it lightly. "No alcohol."

Jason obviously caught on quickly, because a massive grin spread across his face. "You're kidding? So Saracen's gonna be a dad, huh? Wow, I bet he's so exci-"

"Shh," Julie interrupted, mentally cursing herself for giving her secret away so easily to a man she hadn't seen in over two years. "Keep it down, will you?"

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry," he corrected, lowering his voice. "I didn't mean to spoil the surprise. Were you guys looking to do some big reveal? Oh man, I ruined it, didn't I?"

Julie looked up at the rest of their friends, who were fortunately running a play on the other end of the field. She exhaled slowly and finally regained the ability to take even breaths. Matt didn't hear the news that they were going to be parents from Jason Street. She still had the opportunity to tell him herself.

"No, you didn't ruin anything," she sighed. "Matt doesn't even know yet."

"Seriously?" he questioned. "Why not? Are you worried he's going to be upset, because I don't think you have anything to worry about. Saracen's a really great guy. He's going to be an incredible father, and I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"He will be," she nodded, staring down the field at her husband. There had never been any question in her mind that her pregnancy would be the best news she could ever give Matt. It was just the rest of the story – the condition that was already causing symptoms that interfered with her life – that she couldn't bring herself to tell the only man she had ever loved.

"I just want to make sure everything is perfect before I tell him, you know? He deserves that much."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Daddy, how much longer do we have to be in the car? Mom said the Christmas parade started at 5 and it's already 5:30, and we're going to miss Santa!"

Eric glanced over to his wife and groaned. "So happy you felt the need to share that detail with her," he muttered.

Tami chose to ignore her husband's frustration and turned from the passenger seat to answer Gracie's question. "We will be in Dillon in about 45 minutes, sweetie. Why don't you finish the picture you were making for Julie?"

"But I already finished," Gracie whined. "And I made another one for Matty to put up in his gallery."

Tami noticed her husband rubbing his temple in annoyance. While they had been in agreement that surprising Julie in Dillon for Christmas was the right thing to do after all of Gracie's letters to Santa asked for her big sister to come home for the holiday. Unfortunately, they booked the trip late and had to fly into an airport four hours away from Dillon on Christmas Eve. Gracie lacked patience for most things in life, and long car trips topped the list.

"It seems to me you have four different electronic devices back there with you," Eric argued. "Pick one."

"But Daddy!"

"Gracie Belle, you heard your father. Find something to do, and we'll be there soon," Tami instructed. She turned her full attention to her husband.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No," he answered plainly, refusing to take his eyes off of the road. Lack of eye contact from Eric Taylor screamed something was on his mind, and fortunately, Tami had no qualms about investigating what it was.

"Funny, 'cause I thought we could talk about that Christmas gift you bought for Matt."

The look he gave her was nothing short of exasperation. "What the hell are you talking about? You know I did not get a gift for that kid."

"That's exactly my point," Tami argued. She knew that deep down, her husband was proud of Matt Saracen for reasons that had nothing to do with their daughter. Over the years, Eric had watched Matt deal with the hand he had been dealt – a hand that would have left grown men reeling. Unfortunately, any pride Eric felt was overshadowed by the feelings he harbored surrounding the younger man's marriage to his daughter, who would always be his baby girl no matter her age.

Julie moved to Chicago for Matt. She married him and made the decision that they would alternate visits between the Taylor family and his grandmother for holidays. They handled the compromise very maturely, which Tami knew would set a good foundation for a young marriage. Unfortunately, trips to Philadelphia or Texas from Chicago were not cheap, so the rule put into practice meant that they usually only made it to visit once a year. Tami and Eric made efforts to get to Chicago as often as they could, but hectic work schedules and Gracie's school schedule had to be considered.

They both missed Julie every day, but Tami was better about picking up the phone to check in on their older daughter. Gracie was allowed to video chat with her sister in the evenings when her homework was finished, and she took full advantage of that technology. It may not have been the same as having her around for Sunday dinners, but it helped them feel close to Julie. Eric, on the other hand, was not a phone person and had little patience for video chatting. Instead of trying to cope with the distance from Julie, he resented Matt for creating the distance between them and not making enough money to make their visits more frequent.

"First off, Matt is not a kid. He's a young man who has been married to your daughter for a few years now. And second, as such, he is your son-in-law, which means he's your family. It wouldn't kill you to extend an olive branch."

"An olive branch?" Eric questioned skeptically.

"Yes, an olive branch," she repeated. "It would mean a lot to Matt, and even more to Julie. It wouldn't kill you to give him some indication that you respect him and you're proud of him."

The only response Tami got to that request was her husband turning up the Christmas carols on the radio.

* * *

(Dillon)

"Yes, you can go decorate some cookies with you brother, but make sure you only eat one of them," Jason instructed his older son. "And don't tell your mom I let you have sweets before dinner."

Matt laughed as he watched the boys run hand-in-hand toward the cookie decorating table. "Does that really work? Telling them not to tell Erin about the stuff you let them do?"

"Nah, she always finds out. But I like to think they get excited about our little secrets. It's one of the best parts about being the dad. You'll figure it out soon enough," Jason took a sip of his drink, and then choked on it a little when he realized what had just slipped out of his mouth. Julie made him promise to keep his mouth shut about her pregnancy until she had a chance to tell her husband, and here he was about to let it slip to the man in question.

He coughed to clear his throat and covered the best he could, "You know, when your time comes to figure out dad stuff… when you and Julie have kids. Do you plan on having kids?"

Matt raised his eyebrows. It was not uncommon to be asked the question about kids. In fact, he started to get that question at his wedding reception and found that the longer he and Julie were married, the more frequently they were asked about their intentions to procreate. Although people weren't usually so uncomfortable about it that they almost choked on their beers.

"Eventually," he answered slowly. "You know, we're not in any rush. We live in a studio apartment, and Julie's trying to work two jobs right now. It's not really the right time."

"I get it. Look, I was nineteen when Erin got pregnant. We barely knew each other, and I was hardly making any money working for Buddy Garrity's car dealership. It wasn't the right time for me either, but I can't imagine my life without Noah."

Matt frowned. "Are you trying to talk me into having a baby, Street? I didn't realize you were so invested."

"No!" Jason argued. "Nothing like that. I was just trying to tell you there's never a perfect ti-"

"Matty!" they were interrupted by the shouting little girl in a red sequined dress who came running towards their table. Matt's breath caught in his throat when he saw his sister-in-law barreling towards them. She launched herself onto his lap and gave him a hug.

"Gracie? What are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas Eve!" she answered knowingly. "And Santa is going to be here."

Matt laughed. Gracie was a miniature version of his wife, although with even more confidence. She always told it like it was and never felt intimidated telling off an adult.

"Yes, I know Santa is going to be here," he acknowledged as he looked around for her parents. "I'm surprised to see you here, in Texas, though."

"I love Santa, remember?" she explained, "Plus, the bonus is I get to see you and Julie for Christmas."

He looked up and finally spotted the Taylors across the room as they approached his table. The feelings that came over him were best categorized as bittersweet. It was no secret that his father-in-law made him nervous. He was always working to prove himself to Eric Taylor – first as his quarterback, then as his daughter's boyfriend and now as his son-in-law. Julie's father had been more of a father figure in Matt's life than his own dad, yet he knew he was nothing like a son in Eric Taylor's eyes.

But the Taylors coming to Texas for Christmas would mean a lot to Julie. His eyes searched the room for his wife, but he was unsuccessful in locating her before Gracie jumped off of his lap to face her mother's disappointed glare.

"Gracie Belle, what have we told you about running off without us?"

"But Mom, I was with Matty. He's a grown up in my family that I trust, so it's okay," the little girl argued as Matt stood up to greet his in-laws.

"He is, but you should have asked me or your father first. Got it?" Tami questioned with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, got it," Gracie mumbled, another difference between the Taylor girls. While Julie would have sustained the argument for another few minutes, Gracie knew when to let her mother have the last word.

Tami leaned forward to greet Matt with a hug. "Merry Christmas, Matt. I guess my little daughter here wanted to have the honor of surprising you all on her own."

Matt noticed his father-in-law giving Jason Street a handshake next to him and chose not to let it get to him. He focused on returning Mrs. Taylor's hug and glancing around the room for Julie. "She definitely surprised me, but it's all good. Did you fly down today?"

"And drove a bit too," she added with a nod. "It's been an adventure getting here, but that's what you do for family on holidays. Christmas is not the same without you and Julie, and we haven't been back to Dillon for a few years now, so we made it happen."

"Is that Coach Taylor I see over there?" Matt heard his grandmother's voice calling from behind them. He turned around just in time to see his father-in-law embracing her and – yes – he was actually smiling.

"Mrs. Saracen, Merry Christmas to you."

"I was starting to wonder if you were actually going to make it. You know you missed the parade."

"We know!" Gracie whined. "But Santa is still coming to the hotel to bring me my presents, right?"

Matt narrowed his eyes at his grandmother. "You knew about this? And you didn't let anything slip?"

"Of course I knew, Matthew. We've only been speaking about it for a month now," she answered knowingly before turning her attention back to Eric. "Now what is this I hear about a hotel? I seem to remember inviting your family to stay with me."

"You did, and we very much appreciate it," Tami nodded, reaching over to give her a hug. "But we couldn't possibly impose."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. He was blessed to marry into a very caring family, but he was not a fan of sleeping under the same roof as the entire Taylor clan. He and Julie had a room in the Taylors' home in Philadelphia, only it shared a wall with the master bedroom. He knew better than to try anything with his former coach's daughter in the man's home, but his in-laws did not necessarily subscribe to the same philosophy. Needless to say, he had lived through enough uncomfortable breakfasts to last a lifetime.

"It's hardly an imposition," his grandmother continued. "Lena, the nurse, is spending the holiday with her family in Oklahoma, and we made her room up to be a guest room. I even had her pick up a princess sleeping bag for the little one. Besides, I won't hear of such a sweet little girl spending Christmas morning in a hotel."

"We don't mind a hotel," Eric started.

"Coach Taylor, it's been decided!" she insisted.

Eric's gaze landed on Matt for the first time, and the younger man took a little pleasure in knowing that even good old Coach Taylor could be ordered around every once in awhile.

"Okay, okay," Tami calmed the situation. "We'd be happy to stay with you, Lorraine. Thank you so much for hav—"

"Where's Julie?" Gracie interrupted, tugging on Matt's arm.

"Well, uh – I'm not sure. Grandma, wasn't she sitting over there with you and Tyra?"

"She went out back to take your call awhile ago," Lorraine told Gracie. "But that was more than half an hour ago."

"But Daddy wouldn't let me call Julie. He didn't want me to ruin the surprise," Gracie argued.

"No, you definitely called her. Her phone rang, and she said it was her sister and she had to take it outside," Lorraine explained defensively. Matt frowned, putting an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. As the years passed by, his grandmother's dementia got worse. He had hired a live-in nurse to be with her around the clock, and she resented him for it. She must have sensed her illness worsening, because she was more argumentative than he ever remembered her being. She hated being told that she was wrong, even if it was about a simple phone call.

"You know what?" he started, glancing at his mother-in-law to play along, "I bet Gracie just forgot about calling Julie. I bet she just got caught up talking to someone from high school out there. I'll go find her."

Tami looked between Matt and his grandmother with concern on her face. It was apparent that he was desperate to keep her calm. "Why don't Gracie and I go outside to get her? I really want to surprise my baby girl, and I'm sure Coach Taylor here would love to have some quality time with the two of you, right babe?"

"Uh – sure," Eric mumbled.

"We'll be right back with Julie," Tami announced, plastering a smile on her face and leading Gracie outside. They walked the perimeter of the Dillon Community Center until Tami spotted her oldest daughter sitting on the ground across the parking lot with her face in her hands. Her heart sunk when she realized Julie was crying. Fortunately, her younger daughter had not seen the same scene.

"Gracie Belle, you know what?" she started, kneeling down and turning Gracie's back to Julie. "I gave your dad the picture you made for Julie. I know you wanted to give that to her right away. Why don't you go ask him for it?"

"Okay," the little girl smiled, turning back and running inside. Tami turned back around to the same heart-wrenching sight and approached Julie slowly. When she got close enough, she heard the sobs.

"Julie?"

Her daughter looked up at her and gasped. "Mom? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas. I came to be with you," Tami explained, kneeling down next to her daughter and pulling her into a hug. "Sweetie, the bigger question is what are you doing out here crying? What's wrong?"

"Are Dad and Gracie here too?" Julie asked, pulling back from her mother's hug and wiping the tears from her face. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Yes, they're here too. We wanted to surprise you," Tami answered, fully aware that Julie was dodging her question. "I didn't expect to find you sitting on the ground crying. Did you and Matt get into a fight or something?"

"No, nothing like that," Julie sniffled. She paused and took a deep breath to pull herself together. When her doctor had called on Christmas Eve, she thought perhaps she was getting good news – that there had been some mistake and she would be given a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, it was more of the same. Her doctor wanted to warn her that they were running out of time to terminate the pregnancy. She urged Julie to reconsider her decision and get back to her as soon as possible.

She refused and practically called the doctor a murderer for suggesting she have an abortion. She yelled at the other woman out of frustration, and when she finished her tirade, she hung up on her. And as soon as she shoved her phone back in her pocket, she desperately worked to catch her breath. Between the adrenaline flowing through her body and the tears that were flowing down her cheeks, she sank to the ground. It wasn't until she heard her mother's voice that she was able to calm herself down.

It had been months since she had seen her parents. Looking at her mother's face, she wanted to unload all of it – tell Tami about the pregnancy and her heart condition and the terror she felt about the entire situation. But even if that would make her feel better, she knew it would make her mother feel worse. It was the same reason she was petrified to tell Matt.

"I… um... I was just missing you and Dad and Gracie," she covered. "It's hard to be without you guys on Christmas. But now that you're here, there's no need for me to be sad about it."

Tami watched her daughter stand up, wipe her face and take a few more deep breaths. She knew when Julie was lying to her, and she was definitely lying in that moment. But she sensed that her daughter needed her to accept the lie. So instead of pushing her, she stood up and followed her inside, making a mental note to keep an eye on Matt and Julie over the next few days.


End file.
